ritchie



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. RITCHIE.

SANDING DEVIOE FOR STREET CARS. No, 405,505. Patented June 18,- 1889.

1 WITNESSES:

N. PETERS, PholwLrmognphar, Washinglcn, n, c.

(No Model.)- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. RITOHIEJ I SANDING DEVICE FOR STREET CARS.

No. 405,505. Patented June 18, 1889.

WITNESSES:

V Z II VVEIVTOR:

A TTOR/VEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES RITCHIE, or ELATBUsH, NEW YORK.

SANDING DEVICE FOR STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,505, dated June 18, 1889. Application filed April 29, 1889. Serial No. 308,906. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES RITCHIE, of Flatbush, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Sand-Distributing Device, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to sand-distributing devices for tramway-cars, the main objects of the invention being to provide for the delivery of the sand, whether it be wet or dry, at the will of the operator, and in a manner which will not interfere with the ordinary work of conducting or driving the car.

To the ends named the invention consists, essentially, of a sand-receiving box or hopper, a gate or valve arranged in connection therewith, a means for throwing the gate or valve, and a delivery spout or chute, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of a portion of a street-car, representing the same as it appears when provided with my improved sand-distributing device. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line was of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the distributor proper, the agitator and its connections being removed. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken on line y y of Fig. 5, and Fig 5 is a sectional detail view on line .2 z of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, represents a receivingbox, which is arranged for connection with a car floor, as represented in the drawings. Near the upper end of this receiving-boX there is journaled a shaft 11, which carries a fourarmed valve 12 and a gear 13, the valve being arranged to close the entrance a to the receiving-box 10, and the gear being connected to the shaft outside of the box proper. At one side of the box 10 there is formed a boss or projection 14:, that is recessed to receive and uphold a rack 15, that engages the pinion or gear 13, the rack stem 16 being carrled forward to a lever-arm 17, that is secured to a vertical shaft 18, mounted so as to extend upward near the brake shaf t 19.

of the shaft 18 is apertured to receive an operating arm or lever 20, by means of which a The upper end rotary motion may be imparted to the shaft 18, and a reciprocating motion consequently imparted to the rack 15, and as the rack is 5 so reciprocated the shaft 11 will be turned and the valve 12 moved so that the aperture leading to the receiving-box 10 will be opened.

Directly above the receiving-box I arrange a hopper 30, adapted to receive the sand, and within this hopper I mount an agitator 31, that is supported by a shaft,32, said shaft being journaled in bearings formed in the hop-. per-wall, and being provided with a pinion 33, that engages the pinion 13, so that as the rack 15 is reciproeated the agitator 31 will be turned within the hopper, and the sand will be prevented from arching over the aperture leading -to the receiving-box 10.

In order that the sand delivered to the receiving-box 10 may be directed to the cartraek, I connect a tube 34 to the lower end of the said receiving-box, which said tube is preferably made of flexible material, which may be adjusted to position, and, having been so adjusted, supported in any desired manner, but preferably by means of a stiff wire that is arranged within the tube.

IVhen the lever is not in use, it is suspended from the dash-rail by a chain 25.

Although any proper connection between the rackstem 16 and the lever 17 might be employed, I prefer to bifurcate the lever 17, in order that the rack-stem may be passed between the arm-sections, and to slot said arm-sections, as shown at f, the stem being provided with a pin g, which passes through the slots f, as illustrated.

By constructing the sanddistributing apparatus as above set forth I am enabled to dispose the hopper beneath the car-seats, as illustrated in the drawings.

In the specific construction illustrated in the drawings I have represented the box 10 as being bolted to a plate 35, which rests upon the car-floor and is formed with .a central aperture and inclined faces 72, leading to said aperture; but it will of course be understood that the plate and the box might be integral.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1. The combination, with a sand-receiving box 10, of a valve 12, arranged therein, a pinion or gear 13, carried by the valve-shaft, and

a rack arranged to engage the pinion, substantially as described.

2. The combination, With a sand-receiving box 10, of a valve 12, arranged therein, a pinion or gear 13, carried by the valve-shaft, and a rack supported by a boss formed upon the sand-receiving box and arranged to engage the valve gear or pinion, substantially as described.

3. In a sand-distributing device, the combination, with the sand-receiving box 10, of a four-armed valve 12, mounted therein, a gear or pinion 13, carried by the valve-shaft, a rack 15, arranged to engage the pinion, a horizontal lever to Which the rack is connected, a vertical shaft which supports the lever, and a means for turning the vertical shaft, substantially as described.

4. In a sand-distributing device, the combination, with the sand-'receivin g boX, of a valve mounted therein and provided with agear 13, a hopper arranged above the sand-receiving box, an agitator mounted Within the hopper, a gear 33, carried by the agitator-shaft and arranged for engagement with the valve-gear 13, a rack mounted to engage the gear 13, and a means, substantially as described, for reciprocating the rack, as and for the purpose stated.

JAMES RITCHIE.

\Vitnesses:

EDWARD KENT, .ln, 0. QEDGWICK. 

